Apparently more disturbed than Evan realized, Katie put her fork down alongside her plate. “I am ready whenever you are, Laird.”
“Nay.” He waved his fork at her. “Finish yer breakfast. I dinnae believe ye will be too unhappy with my decision.”
Color returned to her face, but her appetite seemed to dwindle. Alasdair continued to sip on his coffee but cast glances every so often at his brother. Finally, Evan put his fork down, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and stood. “Have ye been to the library yet, lass?”
“Aye. I spent some time there last night.”
Evan nodded. “Good. We can meet there.” He turned and strode from the table. He entered the corridor and passed through the doorway to the library. Katie was right behind him and stood with her arms across her chest. Apparently, she was not anticipating good news.
Evan waved to the settee alongside the south wall. “Please, have a seat. This won’t take long.”
She settled on the chair and smoothed her frock out. “I am not leaving.”
Even rested his arm on the fireplace mantel. “Are ye putting words in my mouth now, lass?”
“No. I just ken what ye are about to say, and I want ye to ken my mind is also made up, and I am not leaving.”
“Suppose ye let me say my piece before ye start telling me what ye will and will not do. Ye might be pleased to ken that I am not putting you and yer clan members back on the road.”
Katie’s eyes grew wide. “So ye had a change of heart? Ye admit that MacDuff belongs to me?”
Evan raised his hand. “I dinnae say that. I said I won’t be putting you on the road back home. However, there is no question now, nor will there ever be, about who owns the MacDuff castle, lands, and everything associated with it. ’Twas passed to me by virtue of primogeniture and reinforced in the old Laird MacDuff’s will. I am the laird of the MacDuff clan and will always remain the owner.”
Katie frowned. “I disagree, but where do I fit in with this plan of yers?”
Evan pushed away from the mantel, his hands behind his back. “It has come to my attention that a land steward—whom I was planning on leaving in charge here when I returned to Argyll—will not be sufficient to see to everything, especially the castle itself.”
She tilted her head to one side. “What does that mean?”
“It means I would like to hire you to oversee the castle.”
Chapter Five
“Hire me?” Katie could not be more surprised at Laird MacNeil’s words. She’d been certain he was about to tell her to pack her things and return to Stirlingshire. She’d been prepared to stand her ground and refuse to leave. Visions of him dragging her out kicking and screaming had filled her mind while she’d waited for him to finish his breakfast.
“Aye. But before we make this agreement, I want to ask ye a few questions.”
Katie nodded, her mind still in a whirl.
“Why did ye leave yer home in Stirlingshire?” He narrowed his eyes. “And I’ll have the truth from ye, lass.”
She could certainly give him the truth, just not all of it. If MacNeil was the sort of man who honored a contract—no matter how false—he would have her back on the road home. She took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. “My da suffered a great deal when my mum died giving birth to Gavin.”
“How old is yer brother?”
“Ten years. He was a surprise to my parents.”
Evan nodded for her to continue.
“Da spent a lot of time and money on drink and trips to Edinburgh, leaving me in charge of the land, the castle, and my brother.” The sinking feeling returned to her stomach as she recalled when she used to watch the road for her father’s return. Each time she’d prayed that he would arrive well and hardy and with the coin in his pocket he’d taken with him. She’d needed it to buy food, and pay their debts.
The farmers and crofters had paid their rents mostly on time, but the cottages needed repairs that Katie just didn’t have the coin to cover. Things had begun to fall apart, and Da had been no help.
“During that time things grew from bad to worse. He didn’t have a great deal of interest in our home, lands, or tenants. Many of our people left for Canada and Australia. Unfortunately, most of those who remained were ill, aged, or widowed mothers with children. Da kept telling me ’twas a temporary thing and eventually all would settle down and the good times would return.”
MacNeil shook his head, his expression somber. “Aye. Many clans believed the same thing, but I’m afraid the good times, as our das and grandas knew, are gone forever.”
“That’s what I kept telling him. That we must adjust and work with what we had.” She closed her eyes, remembering the arguments that had gone on forever until she’d thrown her hands up in anger and stormed off. “But he never listened.” She remained silent for a few moments, forcing away the tears that threatened to disgrace her in front of the laird. Perhaps sensing her distress, he remained silent.
She took a deep breath. “Then one night a fire started in the stables. Da was home that evening, but he was passed out in one of the stalls. The fire spread to part of the house, but we were able to keep it from taking the whole place.” She swallowed a few times. “Da never made it out of the stables. We buried him the next morning.”
Evan moved to the desk near her chair and rested his hip against it. He waited a few minutes, then said, “Was that when ye decided to come here?”
She nodded and gave herself a bit of time to erase those memories and force the one
